Storyline

Charmingly soft-spoken and yet powerfully incisive expressing his profound ideals, Fred Rogers was a unique presence on television for generations. Through interviews of his family and colleagues, the life of this would-be pastor is explored as a man who found a more important calling to provide an oasis for children in a video sea of violent bombardment. That proved to be his landmark series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968), a show that could gently delve into important subjects no other children's show would have dared for that time. In doing so, Rogers experienced a career where his sweet-tempered idealism charmed and influenced the world whether it be scores of children on TV or recalcitrant authorities in government. However, that beloved personality also hid Rogers' deep self-doubts about himself and occasional misjudgments even as he proved a rock of understanding in times of tragedy for a world that did not always comprehend a man of such noble character.Written by
Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the documentary includes a brief clip of Mr. Rogers's meeting with Koko the Gorilla and shows Koko removing Mr. Rogers's shoes, it does not explain the story behind the gorilla's actions. After Koko's death in June 2018, multiple obituaries for the gorilla explained that Koko faithfully watched Mr. Rogers's show every day, and during their encounter, she removed his shoes because she was used to seeing him do the same at the start of every episode. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Fred Rogers:
[at his piano]
Come on over a minute. I just had some ideas that I've been thinking about for quite while about modulation. It seems to me that there are different themes in life, and one of my main jobs, it seems to me, is to help, through the mass media for children, to help children through some of the difficult modulations of life.
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Frequently Asked Questions

User Reviews

Fred Rogers is one of the best humans to ever walk this Earth. I'm as black hearted and cynical as anyone thats ever walked the Earth. Mr. Rogers always hits in the feels because he is the real deal. He wants nothing from you, only that you be understood and proud of yourself.

This doc is a love letter to Mr. Rogers so it is what you'd expect, no surprises, a few more interviews than I've seen in the past all arranged well.

75 of 84 people found this review helpful.
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